Transfer Of Animal Friends Insurance Policies

GhostHunter_3

cfairfax wrote: »

Hi Madkitty

Taking into account the IT and website work we're probably looking at the end of August, though possibly sooner - best thing is to check back on our website over the next few weeks.

Ghosthunter - we've been offering a 3 pet discount for some years. The market has moved recently and we can see others are now offering discount for 2 pets - so you can be sure this is now on our agenda for consideration! Watch this space.

Thanks all for your commnets.

Chris

Thanks for the reply I do hope so I chose AFI in the first place because I was lead to beleive they had a fuss free ethical policy which was the only one that when it said no limits for life meant exactly that.

In the meantime I will shop around but I will also have a serious think about getting the 20% discount on each policy. I hasten to add although I would feel consumed with guilt taking the extra discount instead of AFI being able to use this charitably towards animals it may just help me to help them as it will reduce my policies to something I can afford whilst I wait for the news that they accept 2 pets with a discount. The soner the better.

As for customer service although I cannot speak for making a claim myself but the service I get from AFI whether online, telephone or by letter (not including the latest clashes of course) have been good service so thanks.

cricket

Hi Chris.

I have recently acquired a puppy and am looking into pet insurance. Obviously the whole thing is a minefield.

Although you are dearer than a lot of insurers I was particularly interested in your policy of life cover.

My query is I need to purchase now but you are mentioning what great deals you are going to have on offer at (poss) the end of August.

That does not help me as I am concerned NOT to fall into the trap of taking out a policy with a company only to find out that it is no longer as beneficial but am unable to move to a better deal with your company without incurring penalties and so locked in.

It is like dangling a carrot - we are going to have some really great deals for you coming over the next few months, but you the potential client will have to make the choice, do you insure your pet now and know it has protection, but may not be the best policy shortly? or take the risk of nothing happening to your pet whilst waiting for the new policies/offers to come into effect?

Not quite the position I was expecting to be in when wanting insurance and particularly after the 'good deals' M&S initially set-up to get customers but which is not the 'great deal' anymore but their clients are stuck with.

So any advice here Chris?
1. Any chance these new policies of yours could come in any sooner ?
2. or allow new clients to enrol on one of your existing policies with the option to move onto the new policies if they appear to better meet the needs of the client.
3. Tell us what these new policies will offer and so we can decide which route to take.

regards

madkitty

cricket apparantely we can transfer across to a new policy nce it comes out - Chris mentioned earlier that the only difference would be that any pre-existing comditions would carry the limits of the original policy amounts

cricket

Hi.
Thanks madkitty for replying.

My concern was that the option to transfer to one of the predicted newer AFI policies, would only be open to existing customers who were involved in the change over of underwriters.

I assumed new, first-time customers would not be eligible and I was hoping Chris Fairfax would clarify the situation.

Regards

madkitty

just to let everyone know I had a £600 claim that went through on the 14th july just before the policy changed on the 16th and E&L have paid up in full in record time - its amazed me this time round!

pigeonpie

I'm having the opposite experience with E&L. I put in a claim in late June. They "lost" it (never got it apparently). So I resubmitted. It's a continuing treatment claim - they have always paid up before with no problem. Just got a letter from E&L saying this time it's going to their adjudicators to decide whether or not to settle it. When I rang they said "Mrs X, oh cancellation.....". I am anticipating a fight and they are going to get one. I've emailed them and got an auto response that they are experiencing 'high volumes' of email and they hope to reply within 10 working days!

Does anyone know the exact date when you claim to AFI/Red Sands, not E&L? My pet needs some blood tests and we are waiting until we are sure. We moved our pets across with AFI to Red Sands. Presume you stayed with E&L, Madkitty?
Btw why isn't this thread in the Insurance forum as took me ages to locate it?!

PS has anyone had a successful and prompt claim pay out from Red Sands/AFI yet please?

pboae

pigeonpie, if E&L mess you around go to the insurance ombudsman, that usually makes them pay up. Once they start procrastinating and avoiding giving you a decision they will drag it out for as long as they possibly can in the hope that you give up and go away.

With regards your question about when Red Sands take over your policy, if you want an exact date you will probably need to ring AFI and ask them direct.

lowis

I am about to adopt an old cat of 13years in age. Have been shopping around and their is little choice out there for older pets if you want lifetime cover.

Was informally advised by people in the vet industry to avoid insurances offered my supermarkets (except the M&S one), so I haven;t even looked at those.

I insure my existing cat with Pet Plan and have done since he ws a kitten, They have been really good. Unfortunately they only offer their basic plan for older cats which, to be frank, is a rubbish plan and totally unsuitable (£3000 per condition for life, not renewed annually) for an older pet.

M&S offer a good policy but their premium was £35 a month - I currently pay £17.50 for my 12yo cat through Pet Plan, so M&S seems a tad expensive to say the least.

Animalfriends also offer a great sounding policy for around £16 but the excess is rather high at 35% and could prove so high as to discourage me from embarking on treatments to save my pet's life. I have just claimed £12,000 over 18 months with Pet Plan for a cat living with lymphoma - I am paying off the 20% excess in installments with my vet. If the excess had been 35% I am not sure I sould have been able to afford to treat my cat.

So...I am very interested to read Mr Fairfax's comments that Animalfriends are going to offer a customer the option to reduce the excess. If they do this and the premiums aren't stupidly excessive (like M&S) then they will get my business - especially if they guarantee timely payouts with my vet too!

Watching with interest Mr Fairfax, but please could you hurry as I am hoping to get my adopted cat from the rescue place in the next week or so